Best Linear Fusion Rifles in Destiny 2: Tier List (Heresy Meta)

After years of sitting on the sidelines, followed by a few months at the top of the meta, Linear Fusions Rifles are finally in a good place. In fact, a few of them are still considered to be among the best weapons in Destiny 2.

This guide covers all Linear Fusion Rifles in Destiny 2 and their best rolls for PvE and PvP.

Update based on Episode 3: Heresy. See Updates.

Top Tier Linear Fusion Rifles (Episode 3)

This Tier list features the best Exotic and Legendary Linear fusion rifles right now:

Item	Weapons	Type	Archetype	Ammo?	Element?	Requirements	In loot pool?	Rank	Source	Available?	Tier rank	Source ❘ DLC	Final Verdict	Released	Perks	Best of?
The Queenbreaker	The Queenbreaker Linear Fusion Rifle	Linear Fusion Rifle	Exotic	Heavy	Arc	Free-to-Play	Yes	S › Best	Exotic Engram		Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	Slot: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Exotic Exotic Perk: "Fires a long-range precision Arc bolt that blinds enemies on hit. It has a slower charge time and deals greater damage." ► A weapon that has been virtually useless for years now, The Queenbreaker is finally getting its fifteen seconds of glory. With Episode: Heresy, The Queenbreaker received significant Buffs and a capable Catalyst that makes it top-tier for PvE.	Season 4	Slot: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Exotic Exotic Perk: "Fires a long-range precision Arc bolt that blinds enemies on hit. It has a slower charge time and deals greater damage."	Top-tier
Cataclysmic	Cataclysmic Linear Fusion Rifle	Linear Fusion Rifle	Precision	Heavy	Solar	The Witch Queen	Yes	S › Best	Vow of the Disciple Raid		Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE	Vow of the Disciple Raid Witch Queen	Slot: Solar | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Precision PvE God Roll: Fourth Time's The Charm + Bait and Switch ► While recent options like Briar's Contempt technically outclass Cataclysmic in total damage, this linear fusion rifle continues to be many players' first choice. It's easy to use, stacks nicely with Surge mods, and tends to be way more consistent than its competitors.	Season 16	Slot: Solar | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Precision PvE God Roll: Fourth Time's The Charm + Bait and Switch	Top-tier
Briar's Contempt	Briar's Contempt Linear Fusion Rifle	Linear Fusion Rifle	Aggressive	Heavy	Solar	Lightfall	Yes	S › Best	Root of Nightmares Raid		Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE	Root of Nightmares Raid Lightfall	Slot: Solar | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Aggressive PvE God Roll: Rewind Rounds (also good: Reconstruction) + Focused Fury (also good: Surrounded) ► Briar's Contempt was released with little popularity, along with the rest of the Root of Nightmares weapons. However, now that people have had their hands on it for a bit, it's clear that Briar's is strong. The combination of Surrounded and Harmonic Resonance makes this weapon even stronger than Cataclysmic, but only in specific scenarios.	Season 20	Slot: Solar | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Aggressive PvE God Roll: Rewind Rounds (also good: Reconstruction) + Focused Fury (also good: Surrounded)	Top-tier
Doomed Petitioner	Doomed Petitioner Linear Fusion Rifle	Linear Fusion Rifle	Aggressive	Heavy	Void	Lightfall	Yes	S › Best	Starcrossed		Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE	Starcrossed Lightfall	Slot: Void | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Aggressive PvE God Roll: Envious Assassin (also good: Reconstruction) + Surrounded (also good: Precision Instrument) ► Along with Briar's Contempt, Doomed Petitioner mainly excels at optimized total damage due to Surrounded and their aggressive frames. Sure, Cataclysmic is typically the go-to for many Guardians (and understandably so), but Doomed Petitioner and Briar's Contempt beat it out when it comes down to the numbers.	Season 23	Slot: Void | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Aggressive PvE God Roll: Envious Assassin (also good: Reconstruction) + Surrounded (also good: Precision Instrument)	Top-tier
Scintillation	Scintillation Linear Fusion Rifle	Linear Fusion Rifle	Adaptive	Heavy	Strand	Free-to-Play	Yes	S › Best	Nightfall: The Ordeals		Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE	Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play	Slot: Strand | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Adaptive PvE God Roll: Rewind Rounds (also good: Envious Assassin) + Bait and Switch (also good: Surrounded) ► In PvE, Scintillation is one of the best linear fusion rifles out there. Despite the current meta favoring rocket launchers and heavy grenade launchers, the top LFRs continue to hold their ground. Scintillation is an easy addition to those options.	The Final Shape	Slot: Strand | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Adaptive PvE God Roll: Rewind Rounds (also good: Envious Assassin) + Bait and Switch (also good: Surrounded)	Top-tier
Euphony	Euphony Linear Fusion Rifle	Linear Fusion Rifle	Exotic	Special	Strand	The Final Shape	Yes	S › Best	Salvation's Edge Raid		Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE	Salvation's Edge Raid The Final Shape	Slot: Strand | Ammo: Special | Archetype: Exotic Exotic Perk: "Dealing sustained damage with this weapon spawns Threadlings at your target's location. Threadling damage increases this weapon's damage." ► Euphony is remarkably powerful, and it gets even better when used on Strand Warlock thanks to Broodweaver's ability to spawn lots of Threadlings, stacking the Spindle perk faster, allowing Euphony to rival some Heavy Weapons for damage.	The Final Shape	Slot: Strand | Ammo: Special | Archetype: Exotic Exotic Perk: "Dealing sustained damage with this weapon spawns Threadlings at your target's location. Threadling damage increases this weapon's damage."	Top-tier
Sleeper Simulant	Sleeper Simulant Linear Fusion Rifle	Linear Fusion Rifle	Exotic	Heavy	Solar	Free-to-Play	Yes	A › Strong	Exotic Kiosk		Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvE	Exotic Kiosk Free-to-Play	Slot: Solar | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Exotic Exotic Perk: "The weapon's laser over penetrates enemies and refracts off hard surfaces." ► While Sleeper Simulant hasn't been a top pick outside of Contest Mode raids and dungeons for quite some time, it's a consistent option with tons of total damage when needed.	Season 3	Slot: Solar | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Exotic Exotic Perk: "The weapon's laser over penetrates enemies and refracts off hard surfaces."	Top-tier

Destiny 2 Linear Fusion Rifles: Complete List

Art	Name	Type	Archetype	Rarity	Ammo?	Element?	Requirements	In loot pool?	Ammo	Element	Tier	Excels	Source	Craftable?	Requires	Released	Slot	Can be Crafted?	Best of?	Top Perk?
	Arbalest	Linear Fusion Rifle	Exotic	Exotic	Special	Kinetic	Lightfall	Yes	Special	Kinetic	B › Average	-	Exotic Quest	No	Lightfall	Season 6	Kinetic	No
	Euphony	Linear Fusion Rifle	Exotic	Exotic	Special	Strand	The Final Shape	Yes	Special	Strand	S › Best	PvE	Salvation's Edge Raid	No	The Final Shape	The Final Shape	Kinetic	No	Top-tier
	Finality's Auger	Linear Fusion Rifle	Exotic	Exotic	Heavy	Solar	The Final Shape Dungeon Key	Yes	Heavy	Solar	B › Average	PvE	Sundered Doctrine Dungon	No	The Final Shape Dungeon Key	Episode 3	Heavy	No
	Lorentz Driver	Linear Fusion Rifle	Exotic	Exotic	Special	Void	Beyond Light Pack	Yes	Special	Void	C › Weak	-	Exotic Kiosk	No	Beyond Light Pack	Season 15	Energy	No
	Sleeper Simulant	Linear Fusion Rifle	Exotic	Exotic	Heavy	Solar	Free-to-Play	Yes	Heavy	Solar	A › Strong	PvE	Exotic Kiosk	No	Free-to-Play	Season 3	Heavy	No	Top-tier
	The Queenbreaker	Linear Fusion Rifle	Exotic	Exotic	Heavy	Arc	Free-to-Play	Yes	Heavy	Arc	S › Best	PvE	Exotic Engram	No	Free-to-Play	Season 4	Heavy	No	Top-tier
	Briar's Contempt	Linear Fusion Rifle	Aggressive	Legendary	Heavy	Solar	Lightfall	Yes	Heavy	Solar	S › Best	PvE	Root of Nightmares Raid	Yes	Lightfall	Season 20	Heavy	Craftable	Top-tier	Incandescent,Reconstruction
	Cataclysmic	Linear Fusion Rifle	Precision	Legendary	Heavy	Solar	The Witch Queen	Yes	Heavy	Solar	S › Best	PvE	Vow of the Disciple Raid	Yes	Witch Queen	Season 16	Heavy	Craftable	Top-tier	Bait and Switch
	Corsair's Wrath	Linear Fusion Rifle	Precision	Legendary	Heavy	Solar	Free-to-Play	Yes	Heavy	Solar	D › Worst	-	World loot pool	No	Free-to-Play	Season 12	Heavy	No
	Doomed Petitioner	Linear Fusion Rifle	Aggressive	Legendary	Heavy	Void	Lightfall	Yes	Heavy	Void	S › Best	PvE	Starcrossed	Yes	Lightfall	Season 23	Heavy	Craftable	Top-tier	Reconstruction
	Eyes Unveiled	Linear Fusion Rifle	Precision	Legendary	Heavy	Void	Episode 3: Heretic	Yes	Heavy	Void	B › Average	PvP	Heretical Activities	No	Episode 3: Heretic	Episode 3	Heavy	No
	Fire and Forget	Linear Fusion Rifle	Aggressive	Legendary	Heavy	Stasis	The Witch Queen	Yes	Heavy	Stasis	C › Weak	-	Operation: Seraph's Shield	Yes	Witch Queen	Season 19	Heavy	Craftable
	Laser Painter	Linear Fusion Rifle	Precision	Legendary	Heavy	Strand	Free-to-Play	Yes	Heavy	Strand	C › Weak	-	Playlist: Gambit	No	Free-to-Play	Season 21	Heavy	No
	Line in the Sand	Linear Fusion Rifle	Precision	Legendary	Heavy	Arc	Episode 1: Echoes	Yes	Heavy	Arc	B › Average	-	Dawn Engrams	No	Episode 1: Echoes	The Final Shape	Heavy	No		Voltshot,Bait and Switch
	Mistral Lift	Linear Fusion Rifle	Adaptive	Legendary	Heavy	Void	Free-to-Play	Timed-Event	Heavy	Void	B › Average	PvE	Event: Dawning	No	Free-to-Play	Episode 2	Heavy	No
	Reed's Regret	Linear Fusion Rifle	Precision	Legendary	Heavy	Stasis	The Final Shape	Yes	Heavy	Stasis	C › Weak	-	Trials of Osiris	No	The Final Shape	Season 15	Heavy	No
	Sailspy Pitchglass	Linear Fusion Rifle	Precision	Legendary	Heavy	Arc	Free-to-Play	Yes	Heavy	Arc	C › Weak	-	Xûr	Yes	Free-to-Play	Season 18	Heavy	Craftable		Voltshot
	Scintillation	Linear Fusion Rifle	Adaptive	Legendary	Heavy	Strand	Free-to-Play	Yes	Heavy	Strand	S › Best	PvE	Nightfall: The Ordeals	No	Free-to-Play	The Final Shape	Heavy	No	Top-tier	Bait and Switch
	Stormchaser	Linear Fusion Rifle	Aggressive	Legendary	Heavy	Arc	Witch Queen Dungeon Key	Yes	Heavy	Arc	B › Average	PvE	Duality Dungeon	No	Episode 3: Heretic	Season 17	Heavy	No
	Suspectum-4fr	Linear Fusion Rifle	Precision	Legendary	Heavy	Stasis	Free-to-Play	Yes	Heavy	Stasis	B › Average	-	World loot pool	No	Free-to-Play	The Final Shape	Heavy	No
	Taipan-4fr	Linear Fusion Rifle	Precision	Legendary	Heavy	Void	Free-to-Play	Yes	Heavy	Void	C › Weak	-	Gunsmith	Yes	Free-to-Play	Season 18	Heavy	Craftable		Repulsor Brace
	Tarantula	Linear Fusion Rifle	Precision	Legendary	Heavy	Arc	Free-to-Play	Yes	Heavy	Arc	D › Worst	-	World loot pool	No	Free-to-Play	Season 13	Heavy	No
	Threaded Needle	Linear Fusion Rifle	Precision	Legendary	Heavy	Void	Free-to-Play	Yes	Heavy	Void	C › Weak	-	World loot pool	No	Free-to-Play	Season 13	Heavy	No

Tier Ranks used for our list:

• S+ Tier – Meta: Weapons so good they singlehandedly shifted the current meta
• S Tier – Best: Highest ranking weapons.
• A Tier – Strong: Very strong weapons, but not on the same level as S Tier Choices.
• B Tier – Average: Either decent weapons or weapons that fit a very specific niche/use case.
• C Tier – Weak: Mediocre weapons that are easily outclassed by the competition.
• D Tier – Worst: Weapons that don’t have much to offer and don’t deserve your attention.

Best D2 Linear Fusions Today

If you’re prepared to only chase the best of the best, these are the 5 absolute best LFRs in Destiny 2:

5. Briar’s Contempt

Excels in PvE

Briar’s Contempt was released with little popularity, along with the rest of the Root of Nightmares weapons. However, now that people have had their hands on it for a bit, it’s clear that Briar’s is strong. The combination of Surrounded and Harmonic Resonance makes this weapon even stronger than Cataclysmic, but only in specific scenarios. These are the top Briar’s Contempt God Rolls:

• PvE God roll: Rewind Rounds (also good: Reconstruction) + Focused Fury (also good: Surrounded)

How to get it: Briar’s Contempt can be acquired from the Root of Nightmares Raid.

Name: Briar's Contempt

Type: Linear Fusion Rifle Archetype: Aggressive

Ammo: Heavy Element: Solar

Craftable: Yes Released: Season 20

Source: Root of Nightmares Raid Requires: Lightfall

4. Euphony

Excels in PvE

Euphony is remarkably powerful, and it gets even better when used on Strand Warlock thanks to Broodweaver’s ability to spawn lots of Threadlings, stacking the Spindle perk faster, allowing Euphony to rival some Heavy Weapons for damage.

Exotic Perk: “Dealing sustained damage with this weapon spawns Threadlings at your target’s location. Threadling damage increases this weapon’s damage.”

How to get it: We cover how to get Euphony here.

Name: Euphony

Type: Linear Fusion Rifle Archetype: Exotic

Ammo: Special Element: Strand

Craftable: No Released: The Final Shape

Source: Salvation's Edge Raid Requires: The Final Shape

3. Scintillation

Excels in PvE

In PvE, Scintillation is one of the best linear fusion rifles out there. Despite the current meta favoring rocket launchers and heavy grenade launchers, the top LFRs continue to hold their ground. Scintillation is an easy addition to those options. These are the top Scintillation God Rolls:

• PvE God roll: Rewind Rounds (also good: Envious Assassin) + Bait and Switch (also good: Surrounded)

How to get it: Scintillation is a Nightfall Weapon that can be acquired from Nightfall completions, Engrams, and/or rank-ups.

Name: Scintillation

Type: Linear Fusion Rifle Archetype: Adaptive

Ammo: Heavy Element: Strand

Craftable: No Released: The Final Shape

Source: Nightfall: The Ordeals Requires: Free-to-Play

2. Doomed Petitioner

Excels in PvE

Along with Briar’s Contempt, Doomed Petitioner mainly excels at optimized total damage due to Surrounded and their aggressive frames. Sure, Cataclysmic is typically the go-to for many Guardians (and understandably so), but Doomed Petitioner and Briar’s Contempt beat it out when it comes down to the numbers. These are the top Doomed Petitioner God Rolls:

• PvP God roll:Envious Assassin (also good: Reconstruction) + Surrounded (also good: Precision Instrument)

How to get it: Doomed Petitioner can be acquired from the Starcrossed Exotic Mission.

Name: Doomed Petitioner

Type: Linear Fusion Rifle Archetype: Aggressive

Ammo: Heavy Element: Void

Craftable: Yes Released: Season 23

Source: Starcrossed Requires: Lightfall

1. The Queenbreaker

Excels in PvE

A weapon that has been virtually useless for years now, The Queenbreaker is finally getting its fifteen seconds of glory. With Episode: Heresy, The Queenbreaker received significant Buffs and a capable Catalyst that makes it top-tier for PvE.

• Marksman Sights fires a single-shot bolt that chains to nearby targets and blinds them on hit.
• Combat Sights fires a three-round burst that decreases charge time even further on sustained damage.
• Increased the search range of the chain projectiles from eight meters to ten meters.

Exotic Perks:

• Wire Rifle: Swap between scopes and alter this weapon’s firing behavior.
• Hip-Fire Grip: Increases accuracy, stability, and precision hit targeting when firing from the hip.

How to get it: We cover how to get The Queenbreaker + Catalyst here.

Name: The Queenbreaker

Type: Linear Fusion Rifle Archetype: Exotic

Ammo: Heavy Element: Arc

Craftable: No Released: Season 4

Source: Exotic Engram Requires: Free-to-Play

Linear Fusion Rifles and the Meta

How do Linear Fusion Rifles compare to other Heavy weapons in PvE and PvP?

The PvE Meta

Weapon Type	Rank	Tier	Trend	Role ❘ Current State	Category
Exotic Sniper Rifles	S › Best	Best ❘ S		► Main role: Single Target damage ► The recent buffs to certain Snipers, like Whisper of the Worm, and the Sniper's Meditation artifact mod make Exotic Sniper Rifles an easy, accessible, and powerful DPS option on bosses like The Witness in particular. Any boss that has a reasonable crit spot and a decently lengthed damage phase can be destroyed by Whisper right now, and you should definitely take advantage of it. ► Best Archetype: Aggressive (72 RPM) - Example: Whisper of the Worm	PVE Heavies
Grenade Launchers	S › Best	Best ❘ S		► Main role: Add Clear (Secondary role: Single Target Damage). ► Grenade Launchers have finally reached the apex of the DPS meta. Grenade Launchers like Edge Transit and Cataphract GL3 with Envious Assassin and Bait and Switch are incredibly powerful thanks to the amount of burst damage they can put out. Because of this, it's safe to say that Grenade Launchers belong in the top tier of PvE Heavies. ► Best Archetype: Adaptive (120 RPM) - Example: Edge Transit	PVE Heavies
Machine Guns	A › Strong	Strong ❘ A		► Main role: Add Clear ► With the nerf to double-special loadouts, players can't mindlessly spam Machine Guns at enemies anymore and be rewarded for it. However, Machine guns are still excellent at ad clear and remain decent for DPS. That said, for DPS, they are massively outclassed by Rocket Launchers. ► Best Archetype: Rapid-Fire (900 RPM) - Example: Retrofit Escapade	PVE Heavies
Swords	A › Strong	Strong ❘ A		► Main roles: Add Clear & Single Target damage (i.e. Boss damage). ► Swords are pretty decent right now. In fact, they are the go-to option for Crota in Crota's End and for the Herald of Finality in Salvation's Edge. However, this is only because of the design of the boss fight and a specific buff to Sword damage against Crota. Outside of these bosses, Swords are a decent but mediocre option as they are simply out-damaged by other heavy weapons. ► Best Archetype: Whirlwind - Example: Falling Guillotine	PVE Heavies
Rocket Launchers	A › Strong	Strong ❘ A		► Main role: Burst Damage (Secondary role: Add Clear) ► Rockets aren't as good as they used to be, but they are still definitely usable. In most relevant content such as the most recent raid, Salvation's Edge, Rockets aren't too popular (outside of Still Hunt rotations). Despite this Rockets are still a competitive option, and they do some solid burst damage. ► Best Archetype: Adaptive (20 RPM) - Example: Apex Predator	PVE Heavies
Linear Fusion Rifles	A › Strong	Strong ❘ A		► Main role: Single Target damage (Secondary role: Burst Damage) ► Linear Fusion Rifles might not be the top dogs anymore, but they are still serious contenders when it comes to total damage. Options like Cataclysmic and Briar's Contempt can still see some use in today's meta. However, despite their strengths, most situations do not require the amount of total damage that Linear Fusions offer, and if they do, options like Leviathan's Breath can fill that void very easily. ► Best Archetype: Precision (533 RPM) - Example: Reed's Regret	PVE Heavies

Remember that DPS is one of the most important factors when it comes to PvE. As you know, the higher the DPS, the more damage you can deal to a Boss or Major. This DPS chart includes the DPS numbers for every weapon in Destiny 2.

According to Bungie, these are the different roles for Heavy weapons:

The PvP Meta

Weapon Type	Rank	Tier	Trend	Role ❘ Current State	Category
Rocket Launchers	S › Best	Best ❘ S	-	► Rocket Launchers remain a staple in many players' loadouts. They can provide high-range one-shot kills, and can also do AoE damage which can potentially allow you to clear teams if they are close enough together. ► Best Archetype: Precision (15 RPM) - Example: Gjallarhorn	PVP Heavies
Grenade Launchers	S › Best	Best ❘ S	-	► Heavy Grenade Launchers are an incredible option for those who are confident in landing their direct hits. They can functionally serve as a Rocket Launcher, but instead of coming with only a single shot, Grenade Launchers can bring 3, which, of course, means more potential kills. ► Best Archetype: Adaptive (120 RPM) - Example: Memory Interdict	PVP Heavies
Machine Guns	A › Strong	Strong ❘ A	-	► Machine Guns are still an incredible option for Control as they can provide many kills. However, they do require multiple shots to kill which can lead to you potentially being Sniped or peak-shot by a Primary Weapon. ► Best Archetype: Adaptive (450 RPM) - Example: Corrective Measure	PVP Heavies
Linear Fusion Rifles	B › Average	Average ❘ B	-	► Linear fusion rifles are in the middle of an identity crisis. They are stronger than sniper rifles and have more aim assistance, but they still require Heavy ammo and a headshot to one-shot an enemy. On top of that, they also have a charge time to take into account. Compared to a sniper rifle that fires immediately and only uses Special ammo, Linear Fusion rifles make little sense for the Crucible.	PVP Heavies
Swords	C › Weak	Weak ❘ C	-	► Swords are perhaps the most fun option (especially with Eager Edge); however, they are too inconsistent to warrant any competitive use. Furthermore, benefitting from third-person view is no longer possible without Heavy ammo, making the only niche usage swords had redundant. ► Best Archetype: Adaptive/Lightweight- Examples: Half-Truths/Quickfang	PVP Heavies

Remember that when it comes to PvP, TTK is perhaps the most important factor. As you know, the lower the TTK, the faster you can kill your opponent. This TTK guide includes the TTK figures for every weapon in Destiny 2. But Heavy weapons follow different rules (except machine guns). These are supposed to be the most powerful weapons in the entire game, and the expectation is that they one-shot enemy guardians. This is why TTK is not applicable here.It’s all about consistency when it comes to rocket launchers in PVP. You want a rocket launcher that can easily secure those one-kills.

Before you go…

Are you looking for a top-tier Primary and Special weapon to round out your loadout? We cover the Best Destiny 2 SMGs and Best Destiny 2 Shotguns, too.

You now know everything there is to know about Linear Fusions in Destiny 2, whether that is for PVP or PVE content.